Ramiro Aguayo / INAH
Extreme weather events and rising sea levels are putting heritage sites at risk across the world. In one example of this phenomenon, a stone pyramid in Mexico suddenly collapsed under the pressure of rain.
The pyramid was once one of the best preserved monuments of the civilization of the Kingdom of Michoacán. It is located in take offan archaeological site that contains another pyramid, a tower or fortress, and some tombs.
According to , it was first occupied 1100 years ago by indigenous groups. Later it became the headquarters of the Purépecha povothe only empire that the Aztecs failed to conquer.
Only one of the pyramids was damaged, but National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico stated that six are in poor condition, including the outer part, the core and the wall.
Em July 2024intense rains and storms hit much of Mexico. This happened after the worst drought the country has recorded in the last 30 years.
“The high temperatures, previously recorded in the area, and the resulting drought caused cracks that favored the infiltration of water inside the pre-Hispanic building,” stated the INAH.
From then on, the collapse became practically inevitable. Authorities are now committed to repairing the structure of the building “in favor of the cultural heritage of Mexicans”.
Extreme weather and rising sea levels, driven by human-caused climate change, are proving to be a serious problem for important sites of ancient cultures.
One, published in 2024 in ScienceDirect on cultural heritage building materials in Europe and Mexico, revealed that when precipitation increases substantially, these buildings are at risk of suffering damage.
Second Tariakuiri Alvarezwho identifies himself as a living member of the Purépecha tribe, his ancestors would have interpreted the collapse of Ihuatzio’s pyramid as a “bad omen“.
In a Facebook post, Alvarez stated that before the foreign conquerors arrived in Mexico, something similar happened, and this was due to the fact that the gods were “dissatisfied“.
Just days before the pyramid in Mexico collapsed, the “Double Arch” in Utah also collapsed, probably due to the changes in water levels and erosion.
